Valve



Dec. 28, 1948. v F. .1. RAYBOULD 2,457,492

VALVE Filed llay 22, 1944 20 Ma Am INVENTOR. 'FE'A/VK I PA YBOULDBYMJWJV Patented Dec. 28, 1948 VALVE Frank .l. Raybould, Lakewood, Ohio,assignor to The Weatherhead Company, (lleveland, il hio, a

corporation of Qhio Application-M21372, 1944, Serial No. 536,655

(oi. car -15a) 2 Claims. 2

This invention relates generally to valves for controlling fluid underpressure and. particularly to a resilient, radially expansible andcontractible valve seal. I

The principal objects of this invention'are to increase the valvesealing force in proportion to any increasein pressure applied to thevalve; to minimize sliding motion of the deformable portion of the sealagainst the valve seat under pressure; and to maintain maximumdurability and simplicity of the valve. Other objects will appearhereinafter.

In the drawings accompanyingand forming a part of this specification:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view, with portions shown in section, of oneform of valve embodying the present invention; and

Fig. 2 is an elevational view, partly in section, of the valve seal ofFig. 1.

The invention has been illustrated as applied to a globe valve of aconventional type, but it is to be understood that it is applicable toany desired type of valve. Fig. 1 shows a valve body I having tubularportions 2 to be connected to fluid carrying tubes "and an interior web8 provided with a. fluid passage defined by a conical seat surface 4.The valve body carries a rotatable stem 5 and a head 5 connected theretofor endwise and rotational movement with'the stem. The stem 5 isrotatable relative to head 6 when rotational -movement of the latter isresisted, as for example when the seal frictionally engages seat 4. Theparticular connection illustrated is disclosed in more detail andclaimed in the co-pending application of George 0. R. Lindgren, SerialNo. 537,264, filed May 25, 1944.

The valve seal proper of this invention consists generally of adeformable member to engage the valve seat supported and confined insuch a manner that the sealing pressure against the seat increases inproportion to increased pressure applied to the seal in eitherdirection. In the illustrated embodiment, the head '8 carries a screw '1at its inner end which serves to hold retainer disc 8 against the end ofthe head and retain the seal 10 on a cylindrical portion 8 of the headand against a shoulder I l on the head.

The seal l0 comprises an annulus which consists of a rubber-like packingring I! and a pair of confining rings I3 and I4 which may be composed ofmetal or other stiff material. The ring I! may be made of any suitablenatural or synthetic rubber compound which is deformable butsubstantially incompressible. Synthetic rubber compounds with a.durometer reading of abou 80 has an inner cylindrical surface 15 to seaton the corresponding surface iii of cylindrical portion 9 of head 6, anda conical outer surface I 8 to engage the conical seating surface 4 ofWeb 3. The ring 93 is axially spaced-from the ring l4, defining anannular space into which the ring i2 projects and through which it maybe displaced.

The ring l3 includes a radial portion i3a which engages the end surfaceat the thicker end of i i2,and a conical portion i3b which engages theagjacen't portion of the conical surface ill of ring i which engages theend surface at the-thinner end of the ring i2, and a conical portion I4bwhich engages the adjacent portion of the conical surface of the ring.It will be noted from Fig. 2 that the inner edge of the radial portionHit of the ring i3 is spaced from the cylindrical surface i6 which itsurrounds, but that the inner edge of the radial portion 14a of the ringI4 is substantially in contact with the. surface Hi. The rings I 3 andi4 are secured to packing I 2 in any suitable manner, for example, bybeing bonded or molded and vulcanized theretopand when the seal i0 isassembled with head 6 the radial portions 13a and Ma of these ringsengage, respec-' tively, the surface ii on head 6 and the retaining ring8. The retaining rings l3 and 14 are rendered freely expansible andcontractable by one or more slots l9 and 20. Preferably each ring hasbut one slot. When axial pressure is applied to the valve seal in closedposition, either by applied mechanicalforce or line pressure forces, theretaining rings 13 and I4 are tightly pressed into contact with the seatsurface 4. thereby, preventing extrusion of the distortable packing ringi2.

The above described apparatus operates substantially as follows: Whenthe conical surface of seal I 0 lightly engages the conical seat 4, theparts of the seal occupy positions substantially as shown in Figs. 1 and2, with the ring l4 engaging the seat 4. When the screw 5 is advancedtoward web 3 and the seal i0 is thereby pressed against the seat undergreater force, head 6 prevents the ring i4 from compressing radiallybecause its innet surface already substantially engages the surface iiof cylindrical part 9 of the head. Hence the outer circumference of thering [-4 remains substantially constant, preventing further The ring i4includes a radial portion i4a cylindrical surface I6 slides through theinner edge oi the radial portion Ida. The ring I3 can compress radiallyby closing the split or its splits I9 because its inner edge is spacedfrom surface I8 of cylindrical part 9, and thus may move farther intoconical seat 4. In this manner the head '6 may move relative to the ringI4 and, as it so m-oves, ring I2 is subjected to endwise pressure.

Since the ring I2 is substantially non-compressible but deformable, itis displaced outwardly through the annular space between the rings I3and I4 and engages seat 4 with increased pressure to effect an eflicientfluid-tight sealing action. At the same time, thering I2 compresses intofluid-tight engagement with the cylindrical surface I6. When thepressure on head 6 is relieved, ring I2 resumes substantially itsoriginal position due to its inherent resilience.

Substantially the same sealing action takes place from increased fiuidpressure applied to either side of the valve. Pressure acting againstthe upper, or wider, face of the seal I tends to move the ring I3farther into the conical seat 4, with a consequent increase of theradial pressure of the free portion of the ring I2, between the rings I3and'I4, against the seat 4. Pressure acting against the lower, ornarrower, face tends to move the ring I4 upwardly, with a consequentincrease of the radial pressure of the ring I2 against the seat. Duringthis action the ring I4, if provided with one or more splits 20, expandsand remains in contact with the seat 4.

Wiping or rubbing of the deformable ring I2 against the valve seat underpressure is also prevented by the rings I3 and I4. During closing of thevalve the rings I3 and I4 first contact the seat 4 and the ring I2 isnot expanded into heavy contact with the seat until after the ring I4has been firmly seated so as to resist iurther movement. During theslight additional movement required to expand the ring I2 tightlyagainst the seat, the upper corner of the ring is prevented fromcontacting the seat by the conical portion l3b of the ring I3, thesliding movement of the central portion of the ring I2 against the seatbeing so slight as to cause no appreciable wear. In opening the valve,this action is reversed, the ring I4 remaining in position until afterthe expanding pressure on the ring I2 has been relieved.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described inconsiderable detail so seat, an annular seal having a conical surface.engageable with said seat and comprising an annulus of substantiallynon-compressible, deformable material, and axially spaced rings ofrelatively stifi. material surrounding the outer end edges of saidannulus, and engageable with said seat, a head having a cylindricalportion on which said annulus is mounted, the ring adjacent to the freeend oi said cylindrical portion radially engaging said portion, and theother ring being spaced radially from said cylindrical portion undernormal pressures, said last mentioned ring being radially compressible,and means for exerting pressure on said head and seal after the latterhas engaged said seat and thereby moving said rings relative to eachother and deforming said annulus therebetween.

2. In a valve, 'a body having inlet and outlet chambers and a valve portbetween said chambers, said valve having a generally conical seatingsurface, a valve stem movable in said body, and valve means carried bysaid stem and movable into and out of engagement with said valve seat,

said valve means comprising a body of deformable rubber-like materialand separate guard means other guard means being arranged to engage saidseat and confine the associated peripheral portion of said rubber-likebody from extrusion, said other guard means being radially compressibleafter engagement with said seat, the periphery of said rubber-like bodymember disposed between said separate guard means being entirelyconfined by the conical valve seat with the valve closed,

said stem including means for engaging said valve I means adjacent saidother guard means, motion that others skilled in the art may be able topractice the same, it will be understood that many changes andmodifications may be resorted to of said parts to close the valvecausing said second-named guard means to advance toward said first-namedguard means to press the confined periphery of said rubber-like bodyradially against said seat.

FRANK J. RAYBOULD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the V file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

